HEADLINER !

Construction has commenced on the HEB Park Pavilion designed by Mata+Garcia Architects LLP for the City of Mercedes. Pietra Construction of Harlingen is the general contractor for the project.

TSC: Downtown Urban Infill Project

Texas Southmost College hosted a design studio presentation for a downtown urban infill project on the evening of December 10, 2014. The project is part of an ongoing collaboration between the TSC Architecture Program and the City of Brownsville to support the revitalization of the Brownsville Downtown District. The TSC Architectural Design Studio group of Fall 2014 presented conceptual designs for various types of buildings on vacant lots that are scattered throughout the area. The goal was to fill in those vacant lots with new buildings that improve the living conditions within the downtown area and serve local residences and general  pubic of the city. In addition, the new structures were designed to  serve as concepts for structures that could bridge historic and contemporary design concepts and create new dynamics for the district. Our own MG'er, Hector Rene Garcia, Architect/Partner,  served as one of the jurors reviewing student work. "The concepts were well researched and developed. Each project could inject the downtown area with economic and architectural impact. Dr. Abusalim and his students did not disappoint."

Model of downtown Brownsville; the three student project sites are a mixed-use art supply, art gallery, student housing complex (upper center), a Chess Academy (upper right) and a Mobile Food Truck Plaza (lower right.)

L to R:  Juan Ramon Cantu, Oscar Olvera and Eduardo Elizondo pitch their proposal for a Mobile Food Truck Plaza, a two level shaded parking structure that utilized ramps, stairs and roof areas as multiple seating options for patrons.

Concept model of a Mobile Food Truck Plaza by Cantu / Olvera / Elizondo. The plaza area (white base) opens the site to passersby with the food trucks parked under the elevated slabs and patrons taking advantage of shaded and open areas along the north and east edges of the property. Jurors recommended varying the ramp and stairs to provide additional seating and shading options.

Presentation board of the Mobile Food Truck Plaza.

Armando Sosa (left), Jose Gonzalez (right) and Jesus Hernandez (not pictured) presented a  mixed-use proposal for an art center consisting of an art gallery, an art supply store and housing units. The three story project layered the different uses establish public and private zones as well as variable experiences for the tenants. A courtyard for contemplation was placed on the north edge of the property, adjacent to the historic fire station next door.

Concept model of the mixed-use Art Center by Sosa/Gonzalez/Hernandez. Jurors suggested relocating the courtyard to the center of the property, thus allowing the visitor and resident experience to be enhanced.

Pedro Rodriguez (l), Wilbert Lopez (r) and Diana Melissa Andrade (below) proposed a Chess Academy, a facility to train the championship caliber chess teams from Brownsville that have won state and national honors.

Diana Melissa Andrade with the presentation board of her teams Chess Academy.

The Chess Academy's floor plan pinwheels around a central core. A cafe, for waiting parents, and administration areas anchor the first floor, while the upper floors contain the "training rooms."  Jurors were in agreement that while the concept was sound the orientation of the building needed further study in order to address aesthetic street side issues.

Murad Abusalim, Ph.D., director of the Architecture Program at Texas Southmost College, poses with students (l to r) Jesus Hernandez, Diana Melissa Andrade, Oscar Olvera and Juan Ramon Cantu after their presentations of urban infill projects to community leaders.  Congratulations to all! 

Texas Southmost College - Architecture Department - Student Design Work on Affordable Housing

Our own Chris Collins, AIA and Hector Rene Garcia, Architect/Partner took part in a design review session for the students of Murad Abusalim, Ph.D., at Texas Southmost College in Brownsville. Their project was single family affordable housing. Other jurors included:  Jesse Miller of BCWorkshop; Oscar Atkinson of the Brownsville Housing Authority; John Pearcy of Megamorphosis Architects; Mick Mitchell Bennet of the Community Development Corporation of Brownsville (CDCB); Ramiro Gonzalez of the City of Brownsville Planning Department and Erick Darbo Diaz of Orange Made Architects.

Juan Ramon Cantu (left), Wilbert Lopez (second from right) and Jesus Hernandez (right) present their class research on affordable housing and the sites selected for their projects. 

Jesus Hernandez present his design, a compact plan with a wrap-around porch, highlighted by the use of clearstory windows and exposed structural elements.

Juan Ramon Cantu's concept had a functional floor plan with his main emphasis on the manipulation of the angles and various orientations of the roof 

 Oscar Olvera divided the public and private areas of his house into pods that opened up to patio areas, a modular plan that can be adapted into various layouts.

Pedro Rodriguez based his concept on an H-Plan that separated public and private areas.

Armando Sosa's concept was based on a C-Plan; all rooms having access to a central courtyard.  Clerestory windows and sliding glass doors deliver light to the interior.

Jose Gonzalez designed a compact plan that featured two deck areas, one public, one private.  The main feature was a clerestory window that would bring natural lighting into the interior of the house.

Diana Melissa Andrade presented a design that will dictate a different lifestyle for the inhabitants of the house.  The public areas (living, dining, kitchen) have their own unit while the private spaces (bedrooms and bathrooms) are in a separate unit.  The two units are joined by porches.  Clerestory windows bring daylight deep into the interior spaces.

Wilbert Lopez provided conceptual sketches and models of his design.

An excellent presentation by the students of Texas Southmost College - Architecture Program.  These second year students (first year design studio) are on track to transfer at the end of their second year to Texas Tech University in Lubbock.  Continued success to all!

Permaculture Workshop: Edcouch-Elsa/Harlingen

Building Communities in the Ecological Epoch: 400 Adkins Street, Edcouch, Texas.

This morning we started off in Edcouch, at a subdivision project undertaken by Proyecto Azteca Inc., a self-housing program adapted to the colonia tradition of owner-built homes.  While Proyecto Azteca usually works on individual homes in colonias, this subdivision is the first time the organization tackles a complete neighborhood. The project will be the first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Silver subdivision south of Austin.

Ann Williams Cass, Executive Director of Proyecto Azteca noted that once completed, the neighborhood will be home to 32 families, with hike and bike trails, a community center and a park.

The families are required to put in 550 "sweat equity" working hours into building their homes as well as taking classes on sustainable living, financial education, home repair, organic gardening, budgeting and building skills as a trade-off for living in the neighborhood.

The LEED Silver homes line the streets of Dolores Huerta and Rebecca 

Flores, longtime leaders of the United Farm Workers.

With 3,800 families on waiting lists, this particular neighborhood will 

house 32 families in 2 bedroom/2 bath (1,000 SF), 3 bedroom/2 bath

(1,200 SF) and 4 bedroom/2 bath (1,400 SF) homes. The homes were 

built with Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) and metal roofs. All of the 

homes have rainwater harvesting and a few are fitted with solar panels.

Wayne Weiseman stated that he would like to see the families garden individually rather than as a community. He said the families will be able to see their own money "free-up", money that they can see in their own pockets. Noting that good leadership is necessary, Weiseman said it would occur little by little, common interests, community interests, seeing what is marketable. Refering to the learning of skills, Weiseman said "It starts at the back door."

Saying he was totally into the project; Weiseman closed by asking, "What inspires you and how do you facilitate that?"

Further information on Proyecto Azteca can be found at: www.proyectoazteca.org

The Llano Grande Center for Research and Development, Elsa, Texas.

The center is a non-profit that works to revitalize the local community through its youth.  Its goals are to create access to higher education, engaging students in community change initiatives and developing leadership that respects local history and culture.

The center's multi-tasked director, Orlando Salinas, presented the organization's vision to create an organic demonstration farm along with the local school district (Edcouch-Elsa ISD). Salinas led a tour of the property as Weisemen and workshop attendees provided suggestions on how to best utilize the property.

Orlando Salinas, Llano Grande Center Director give workshop attendees 

a tour of the property where the goal is to build an organic demonstration

farm for local public school student to learn about permaculture principles.

Salinas has done an initial layout of the property which will start with a 

reservoir on the west end and extend to the eastern edge with a mixture

of plot sizes and crop plantings.

Further information on the Llano Grande Center can be found at: www.llanogrande.org

Homestead Permaculture:  Cortez Property, 40 Acres West of Harlingen

Carlos Cortez, an Agroecology student at the University of Texas Pan American, gave us a tour of his family's property and how he plans to use the 40 acres, with complete backing from his family, to practice permaculture.  Cortez said "I want to restore the land and make it productive again."

Carlos Cortez descibes how he plans to practice permaculture on his 

family's property west of Harlingen.  The UTPA student has ambitious 

plans but plans to start with a small plot and expand from there.

Cortez's initial planting is a vegetable crop circle from which he will

expand to surrounding circles for companion planting.

Cortez stands next to his composting area; the property extends to 

the line of palm trees in the background.

Permaculture and Farming

Yahweh's All Natural Farm & Garden, 19741 Morris Road, Harlingen, Texas

Our final stop was at the Yahweh's All Natural Farm and Garden in Harlingen.  Owned and managed by Saul and Diana Padilla for the past ten years producing organically grown seasonal fruits and vegetables. There are also pecan, orange, grapefruit and peach trees on the property. The Padilla's also offer an sophisticated alternative for raising livestock by working with nature rather than against it.  They offer pasture and free range chickens, goats, rabbits and farm fresh eggs.

Diana Padilla leads a tour of her farm's various fruit trees.

Among the trees on the property are: pecan, orange, 

grapefruit, banana and peach trees

Bananas hang from the tree.

 The Padilla's have two green houses; one that they built (shown) 

and one that they bought.

 A line of bamboo acts as a windbreak for the citrus trees.

Organically fed chickens....

....and livestock.

Asparagus vegetable plants in the community garden.

Padilla asked Weiseman what his thoughts were regarding Yahweh's Farm and what she and her husband are striving for, he said one word, "Exquisite!"

Kate McSwain, co-founder with the Padilla's of the Hope Project for Small Farm Sustainability, spoke about their goal to renovate the existing farm house and acreage into public farm plots - 36 plots at 20'x20' each - and a farmers market store with a commercial kitchen.  Coolers will be available for local growers to store their produce.  McSwain said that they intend to be "economically sound and ecologically viable."

Additional information on Yahweh's Farms can be found at: www.yahwehsallnaturalfarm.com

Drawings for the HOPE Project can be found at:

www.behance.net/gallery/3120693/HOPE-for-Sustainable-Small-Farms-Project

Roberts Elementary School - San Benito CISD

Courtyard view of Classroom Porch areas and Library.